By Kim J. Harmon

In the space of just one year, coach Corky Ballard and his daughter, Alyssa, have seen what the Senior Division softball standings look like from the very bottom and from the very top and while the game is fun either way, they will take the view from the top any day.

Walker Industrial Products edged Dr Gellert’s Braces, 15-13, to capture the Senior Division championship on Monday night under the lights at Treadwell Park.

“It was a great game,” said coach Ballard, “an excellent game. (Dr Gellert’s Braces) is a fun team to play against.”

Last year coach Ballard, with his daughter, saw his team (then sponsored by Berliner-Gelfani) finish the entire spring season without a win. But this year, with Alyssa returning and under the sponsorship of Walker Industrial Products, the team climbed all the way to the top of the Senior Division mountain.

It was a matchup of two of the best the Senior Division had to offer and with the two teams splitting their regular season games, it was clear the championship contest was going to be a tight one alright.

It was Dr Gellert’s Braces which jumped out to the early 2-0 lead, though, in the bottom of the first as Erica Carino slapped a single to right field to drive in Caitlin Thursland with the first run. Kate Fielding came in, as well, when Carino got caught in a rundown between first and second base.

In the top of the second inning, however, Amanda Johns led off with a double for Walker and later scored on a bases-loaded walk to Leah Herity, cutting the Gellert lead to 2-1.

Walker pitcher Samantha Barry held Gellert scoreless in the bottom of the second, giving Walker an opportunity to scored four times in the top of the third on singles by Lisa Grossman, Tara Ryan and Allison Berk, and a double by Barry.

Gellert tied the score, 5-5, in the bottom of the frame, however, when Thursland singled in a run and Carino singled in two more.

And the race was on.

In the top of the fourth and fifth innings, Walker scored the legal limit of five runs and – while Gellert scored twice in the bottom of the fourth – opened up a 15-7 lead. Walker took advantage of 12 walks in those two innings, but Alexis Barry also added a double while Johns and Sonja Taylor added singles.

Down, but not out, Gellert roared back in the bottom of the fifth with five runs as Fielding and Harrington singled.

With Walker clinging to a 15-12 lead, it could score no more runs in the sixth or seventh innings. But the Walker defense and pitching stiffened up and Gellert could only pull within three, 15-13, as Henss scored on an error in the bottom of the sixth.

A two-out double by Gellert in the bottom of the seventh was the final threat.

For Walker, Grossman finished 2-for-3 with three runs scored while Allison Berk was 2-for-2 and Johns was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Alexis Barry was 1-for-3 with a pair of runs scored while Sam Barry was 0-for-1 with four walks and two runs scored.

ForGellert, Thursland was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored while Carino was 2-for-3 with three RBI_and one run scored. Samantha Buchholz singled twice while Allie singled and doubled.

Other members of the Walker Industrial Products team included Michelle Serock and Jen Badill, who, together, went 0-for-3 while earning five walks..

Gellert, which finished up 9-2 on the year, advanced to the final with a 19-15 win over Advantage Loan in the semis. Carino, Stacy Tomasko and Harrington had four hits apiece and combined for 11 RBI. Buchholtz pitched four strong innings to notch her fifth win and Henss picked up her sixth save with two innings of six-strikeout ball.

Fielding and Thursland both made spectacular plays in the field.

Advantage was led by the timely hitting and pitching of Katie DiVanno and Eileen Connor. Connor also blasted a long 3 run homer to keep her team in the game. Stacey Sphunt led the defense with several fine fielding plays that shut down Gellert rallies.